Tag Archives: tip

I’ve finally done it, that thing I kept talking about, over and over, for the past nine months. And, guess what? It feels great! I’m more productive, less anxious about deadlines, and more at peace with myself. In fact, it’s been going so great, I can’t believe I didn’t start sooner!

No, I’m not talking about a new diet or workout routine. No, it isn’t a re-energized sex life (though 18 months into our son’s life, I’m sure my husband is ready for that). I’m talking about something much, much simpler. A thing we’ve all heard about, and yet rarely find the strength or energy to start doing.

Yes, I’m talking about the early morning wake up.

For the past week, I’ve been getting up at 6 a.m. and sneaking out to my office in the backyard to begin my day an hour and a half earlier than the rest of my family. The first day I did it, I completed all of my work for the entire day before my son even made his first peeps. Now, a week in, my electronic to-do list, which previously was glowing bright red with all my unfinished, overdue tasks, is a nice, healthy yellow. My office is (relatively) tidy, and my schedule is (relatively) clear.

To be honest, I cannot believe how much work I’ve gotten done in just a few hours. I also can’t believe how good getting up early can feel. And, while everyone across the Internet has raved about this time-management tip, I think it is particularly beneficial to me as a mom with chronic illness.

My illness is such that it builds over the day so, more often than not, by nightfall I’m wiped out and can do little more than veg out in front of my computer in bed in the dark. If I’m lucky, I might be able to read, but these days I haven’t been that lucky. Despite all this, I was still holding on to the crazy notion that I would finish my work for the day after the kids were in bed.

Obviously this was madness. I almost never felt well enough to work at the end of the day, and my to-do list just kept growing, glowing brighter and brighter red all the time.

Thankfully, I’m pretty sure I’ve resolved this issue. While I can’t say getting out of bed early is easy, especially if my toddler has been up in the middle of the night, in the long run, it’s much, much easier than not doing so.

What about you? Have you tried the early morning wake up? If so, how did it work for you? If not, why not?